Thursday, June 9, 2011

Two wild elephants went on a rampage in a southern Indian city, causing pandemonium and killing at least one resident.

New Delhi Television news channel aired footage Wednesday showing the body of a man at the feet of one of the animals in the city of Mysore in Karnataka state. An elephant also kicked a cow.

One of the elephants charged into a cow and smashed a car before goring and trampling a security guard to death in Mysore, Karnataka state.

Local people managed to trap one of the animals inside a farm and tranquilize the other.Several people were injured by the stampeding animals, which locals said were provoked into a frenzy by terrified townspeople throwing stones at the animal.

SA Ramdas, higher education minister, said that schools were closed on Wednesday and extra police had been deployed as a precaution.

Hundreds of people die in India every year when wild animals wander into cities as their habitats shrink and they have to range farther for food.